Friends, it’s time to talk about the back corner of our closets. And the bottom drawer in the bathroom. And that weird, hard-to-reach cupboard above the fridge. You know what I’m talking about. And you know what lives in those places.

The dress that still has the tags still on it. The expensive conditioner the stylist said you absolutely needed. The KitchenAid mixer that seemed like a great wedding gift. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I’VE LIVED IT MY DUDES.

For yearrrrrs I’d fill my closet with ‘close enough’ clothes I found on sale. I’d buy any cosmetic that was packaged cleverly or dispensed in a novel way. Oh, what’s that? Spray-on eyeshadow and foam lipstick? Into it. For a huge swath of my life, I bought shit I didn’t need. Like, lots of it.

But one day, after my second Goodwill drop-off in as many weeks, I took a long, hard look at my spending habits and decided things needed to change. I decided to stop buying shit I didn’t need. Of course, these changes didn’t happen overnight. Habit change is hard. But little by little, Target run by Target run, I started spending my money more intentionally. I started to make my spending align with my happiness and my values.

And interestingly enough, I don’t get a lot of happiness out of $17 Target sundresses that fall apart after two washes or a tube of clear lip gloss when I already have five at home!

Without exaggeration, my life changed when I stopped buying shit I didn’t need. And I bet yours will, too.

5 things that happen when you stop buying shit you don’t need

First, let’s define “need”

I would never suggest that you should limit yourself to only buying food, rent, and one pair of sensible shoes. No one wants to live that life. Instead, let’s define “something you need” as “something that is frequently used, actively improves your life, or brings you joy.”

But I bet this definition wasn’t really necessary. I imagine you know what it looks like and how it feels when you buy something you don’t need.

You know the slightly icky feeling when you pull something out of a Target bag you abandoned on the entryway. You know the inner grimace when you see a shirt with tags still on it, hanging in the closet.And you also probably know how it feels when you pull something on in a fitting room and think “OMG I AM A GODDESS WILL THEY CUT THE TAGS OFF SO I CAN WEAR THIS HOME.” You know how it feels open the package in your car.

You also know how it feels to own something that positively impacts your life every blessed day.

For example, I have two pets, two teenage stepsons, and hardwood floors. Yes, I do actually need a $350 robot vacuum that cleans while I do other things. I also need my beautiful coffee mug, my multiple sets of satin pajamas, and weekly bouquets from Trader Joes. I don’t, however, need the skirt that was on sale but doesn’t quite fit. I also don’t need a fourth set of serving spoons, any more books for my to-read pile, or more throw pillows. Ever.

When you stop buying shit you don’t need, you have more money

Well, obviously, right? When you stop buying things you don’t need, you have more money to buy things you do. But it’s about more than that. You have more money for outsourcing tasks that make you miserable. You can get groceries delivered, have a professional do your taxes, or hire a housecleaner.

You have more money to pay off the debt that’s stressing you out and to bulk up your emergency fund.

You have more money for a therapist or the not-covered-by-insurance treatments that make you feel better and happier. You can buy a flight to see Grandma or your niece’s graduation. You have more money to upgrade to a safer, more fuel-efficient car or donate to important causes.

When you stop buying shit you don’t need, you have more time

Most of us exchange our time for money. The more we work, the more money we make. When we stop buying things we don’t need, we have more money left over at the end of the month which means we can work less. Maybe we don’t need that ‘side hustle’ anymore. We don’t need to take the extra shift or work overtime. And when we work less, we have more time for the things that make us happy. Things like long, lazy walks with the dog, three-day camping weekends, or just reading a book from cover to cover.

When you stop buying shit you don’t need, you trust yourself more

One of the things we talk about in my free class5 Reasons Your Good Habits Don’t Stick is the power of words and how we talk to + about ourselves. I’ve heard SO MANY PEOPLE say things like “Oh, I can’t be trusted with credit cards!” or “Don’t let me near the Macy’s Labor Day sale – who knows what I’ll come home with!”

This kind of talk is super dis-empowering. We’re all adults here. We’re all responsible for our choices + behavior.

That being said, when someone regularly buys things they don’t need (or particularly like or want) it’s easy to see why they’d feel like they can’t trust themselves. It’s understandable that they would think their Shopping Self didn’t have their best interest at heart.

When you stop buying things you don’t need, you begin to trust yourself more. You can walk into Target knowing you’re only going to walk out with things you truly need and want. You no longer have a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde relationship with sales racks. You can shop without worrying things will somehow, mysteriously, end up in your shopping cart.

I used to spend like this until I moved to NYC and literally came face to face with my museum of bad financial decisions. In the suburbs they weren’t so obvious. In a tiny apartment they haunted me and that was all I needed to change my thinking and my spending habits. Now the problem isn’t poor spending habits, it’s all of the expensive clothes and shoes I no longer wear but feel sick at the thought of just giving away. It’s so overwhelming to go through it all. Proposed solution: Find an app where I can at least attempt to recoup some of that wasted money by selling my “museum pieces.” One step at a time…Thanks for a great post!

I love this. I am getting a lot better about not buying shit I don’t need, but I still just feel completely overwhelmed with all the crap in my house. I think it might be because I have two little kids and not a very big space. But I’m like constantly fantasizing about purging and then sometimes, actually doing it!

Amen! I have come to the same insight, I like your “You have enough” phrase. For me it is usually “I am Not Shopping” when my husband asks “Do you want to look around?” at LL Bean or other places.
2018 is my year without shopping and I have mostly been successful. I feel a lot less of the “what a good sale!” pull than I did before. Now just need to get rid of all the extra stuff in my house 😀

What if I think the items will make me happy? And it’s only later, when my bank account looks pathetic and my apartment is crowded that I realize it was compulsive behavior speaking and not my best self?! It’s a struggle for me still. Any thoughts? Thanks.